The Broken Man and the Fractured Soul
by AssasinNinja
Summary: A terrible accident leaves Naruto paralyzed, and he awakes from a coma without the Kyubi or Sakura. A mysterious nurse leads him to his recovery, where the true nature of his loneliness is revealed. An experimental one-shot


**A sort of test one-shot for an idea I've had for sometime. May or may not expand it.**

**Enjoy if you can.**

* * *

**19 January.**

I cannot feel anything below my neck. The rocks that fell on me crushed almost every bone in my body. Everything beyond my jaw, completely pulverized, like powder. I was unconscious for 5 months, but that wasn't bad because I remember nothing from it. The worse part of this whole ordeal so far, was waking up and for the first time in as long as I can remember, feeling completely alone.

Kurama, my constant and sometimes bitter companion, has abandoned me.

He left no evidence of his departure, nor cause for his disappearance. I can only assume he was destroyed when I was put into the coma. Sometimes I like to pretend that he died pumping all of his energy into my body to keep me alive. One last sacrifice to redeem his evil soul.

As unlikely as this theory of mine may be, it helps me sleep at times.

I've taken to recording my thoughts in a journal. Without the use of my hands, I obviously am unable to write, but luckily I have been fitted with a tape recorder, that I can turn on by pushing down on it with my chin. This is my first entry.

Life is... hard.

**21 January.**

It has been some days since my last entry, and although I have barely even moved, I have much to report on.

I have a new nurse, a plain girl with brownish hair and wrinkles under her eyes. She is... unnaturally kind to me, in a way I am not use to.

Her tasks aren't very complicated, at night she reclines my hospital bed, and when I wake up, she inclines it. She doesn't speak much but always smiles when I address her.

Her name is Emi. She reminds me of Sakura.

I don't blame her for not visiting me. I'm sure her heart would be broken just as easily as mine. Tsunade told me Sakura saved my life, but she just wasn't ready to face me yet. I'm willing to give her all the time she needs.

But I'm so lonely. I miss my best friend. I'm so... lonely.

**22 January.**

Emi is so nice to me, and despite her lack of good looks, I find myself, in a way, attracted to her. Apart from Sakura, she is the only girl I have ever felt so strongly for. It has only been a few days, and I already feel like I've known her my whole life.

Her green eyes look just like Sakura's.

* * *

"Good morning Naruto." Emi spoke, drawing apart the curtains in Naruto's room.

The light pierced the darkness of the inside of Naruto's eyelids, and he slowly pried them open.

"Hey." He croaked out.

"How are we today?" She asked him, smiling as she always did.

"Ugh." He answered as she propped up his bed.

"Well that's good." She replied, laughing and brushing his hair with her fingers. She took the tape recorder out from under his chin and placed it on the table beside the bed, "I can't believe you sleep with that thing on."

"Sometimes I have something to say late at night."

She laughed sweetly, "You ever going to let me listen to your entries?"

"Maybe someday." He laughed right back, but his eyes betrayed a hint of seriousness.

"What shall we do today, boy?" She asked, patting the knee he couldn't feel.

"You know what I want to do."

She bit down on her lip, "I think you're ready."

"You mean it?" If Naruto could move, he would've stood straight up.

* * *

Naruto sat in a wheelchair, wrapped up by a blanket on the top of his father's head. Emi sat beside him, leaning her head against the metal rim of the right wheel.

"You like this monument a lot, don't you, boy?"

"I do, Emi." Naruto whispered, "How much do you know about me?"

Emi thought carefully, "I know you're the toad sage. One of the greatest shinobi the village has ever seen. I know you're the container of the nine tailed fox... I know you're going to get better!"

"Huh," Naruto laughed, "Huh."

"I know you will, Naruto. I just know it."

"Emi," Naruto began sweetly, "I have as much of a chance of moving again as these monuments."

Emi looked away sadly, "We'll just have to see about that."

* * *

Naruto was sleeping in his bed when something hit him in the face.

"Ow." He mumbled through the newspaper.

"How about that, Naruto?" Emi asked.

"How about what?"

The paper was pulled away, and Naruto's eyes adjusted.

"How about that!" Emi repeated.

The newspaper had a photograph of Naruto's father's head, split in half. The headline read: Hokage monument shifted, repairs underway.

"Well..." Was all Naruto said.

* * *

**12 February.**

Moved fingers today.

**18 February.**

Felt blood in my socks.

**19 February.**

Don't trust Emi anymore, cannot say more.

* * *

"Good morning Naruto." Emi said, opening the curtains.

The light shone in on Naruto, who was sitting up, his eyes wide open.

"You-you're sitting up!"

He stayed silent.

"Naruto, say something. This is-"

"You're lying to me." He uttered coldly.

"Wh-what?"

"I'm regaining my old skills," He remained still as stone in a seated position, "One of them, is to sense when people are lying to me. You're lying to me."

Emi shivered.

"Who are you?" He asked, cold as ice.

"Naruto I'm-"

"Who are you!?" He screamed, shaking the walls of the room with his fury. He may have been paralyzed from the waist down, but he shook the woman to her core.

"I'm your nurse-I'm, Emi!"

"Don't lie to me! Stop lying to me!"

"It's me!"

Naruto threw his tape recorder in her direction, it shattered against the wall behind her. She started crying.

"I'm giving you one more chance." He said, his voice devoid of emotion.

She just stood there, shaking. Naruto shook his head, frowning.

"Release." He yelled as he put his hands together.

Emi's guise was dropped, and Sakura stood before Naruto.

"I'm sorry." She said. She fell to her knees.

Only weak arms caught her before she hit the ground. She looked up slowly, and locked eyes with Naruto, who was tearing up as well.

"This whole time, it was you..."

"I couldn't meet you face to face... I couldn't break your heart. I was so afraid... so afraid you wouldn't get better." Sakura said, "I love you Naruto."

"I love you too." He said, smiling, "I'm better Sakura, you made me better."

**"Not quite."** A demonic voice filled Naruto's head.

The boy smirked as he kissed his woman. Kurama had returned, Sakura had finally revealed herself, and Naruto was well on the road to recovery. The world was good again.

The loneliness was gone.


End file.
